Tourcoing

Tourcoing, city, Nord département, Nord-Pas-de-Calaisrégion, northern France. It is just northeast of Lille and near the Belgian frontier. Sheep were grazed on this portion of the plain of Flanders long before the Romans came. There is record of consignment to Germany at the end of the 12th century. In the 15th century Tourcoing’s supremacy in textiles was assured. Emperor Maximilian of Austria licensed a trade fair for the town in 1491. Louis XIV incorporated the town into the French kingdom in 1668. In 1794, at Tourcoing, the French defeated a combined army of Austrians and English. The 19th-century neo-Gothic Church of Saint-Christophe dominates the central square, the Grande Place.

Church of Saint-Christophe, Tourcoing, France.

Velvet

Together with Roubaix, its neighbouring city, Tourcoing became a major centre for wool textiles. Both cities, with their suburbs, form part of the conurbation of Lille. With the pronounced decline of the textile industry, diversifying the local economy became important. Other major economic activities include printing, food processing, and mail-order sales and distribution. Pop. (1999) 93,540; (2005 est.) 92,200.

Learn More in these related articles:

région of France encompassing the northernmost départements of Nord and Pas-de-Calais. Nord-Pas-de-Calais is bounded by the région of Picardy (Picardie) to the south. The English Channel lies to the northwest and Belgium to the northeast. The capital is Lille.

country of northwestern Europe. Historically and culturally among the most important nations in the Western world, France has also played a highly significant role in international affairs, with former colonies in every corner of the globe. Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea,...

city, capital of Nord département and of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais région, northern France, on the Deûle River, 136 miles (219 km) north-northeast of Paris, and 9 miles (14 km) from the Belgian frontier by road.